Weekend local sports: Amherst downs Northampton for Mickey Mantle regular season title

With the Mickey Mantle regular season championship on the line, Amherst defeated rival Northampton in a back-and-forth contest at Northampton High School.

Amherst’s Django Ellenhorn led the team’s 16-hit performance with a 5-for-5 day. Ellenhorn scored four runs, drove in four more and had two stolen bases.

Daniel Hodgkins (double) and Brett Morrison each went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, one RBI and one stolen base, while Ethan Young was 2-for-2 with two walks, one run and one RBI for Amherst (14-3-1).

Northampton (13-4-1) led 9-7 after four innings, but Amherst responded with a six-run sixth inning highlighted by a three-run double by Jack Reese (1-for-2) to take the lead for good.

Morrison earned the win in relief.

Chris Soderberg went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for Northampton, which went 0-3 against Amherst this season.

Ben O’Connor had a three-run homer as Northampton scored four times in the bottom of the first. Robey Nejame was 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

The teams earn the top two seeds in the double elimination Mickey Mantle tournament, which begins Tuesday. Amherst hosts Easthampton at Ziomek Field at either 5:30 or 7, while Northampton will host South Hadley at 5:30.

American Legion

Belchertown 9, Easthampton 1 — Max Humphrey and Jon Mastalerz combined on a four-hitter as Belchertown (1-19) picked up its first win in two seasons with a season-ending win on the road.

Humphrey allowed three hits and one run in five innings to earn the win.

Offensively, Humphrey led the team’s 15-hit performance with three of his own.

Branden Cavanaugh, Billy Aldrich, Nick Kubacki, Jimmy Kusnierz, Jamie Ryan and Mac Griffin each had two hits in the victory.

Easthampton finished the season 6-14.

Greenfield 5, Pettengill 4 — Scott Bicknell blasted a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to close South Hadley’s gap to one run, but that’s where the score remained in the regular-season ending loss on the road Saturday.

Dvon Cordero added a double, while Joe Ciolek had an RBI single in the sixth.

Frontier Regional graduate Sam Tillona (five innings, five strikeouts, two walks) earned the win on the mound as Greenfield (16-4) wrapped up the top seed in the District Tournament, which begins Monday.

In game one of the best-of-three series, Greenfield hosts No. 8 Agawam on Monday at 5:30, while No. 6 South Hadley (12-8) heads to No. 3 Westfield at Bullens Field at 7:30.

Amherst 3, King & Cushman 2 — Alex Tajima hit a single to left field to drive in Asher Young for the win in the eighth inning for Amherst (7-13) on Saturday.

Young and Northampton Post 28 starter David Longstreeth each went eight strong innings in both teams’ final game.

Young allowed eight hits and two walks while striking out five. Longstreeteh gave up one earned run and struck out seven.

Tim Knightly had three hits, including a double, for Amherst, while Evan Delaney and Justin Carey each had a hit and scored a run.

Zach Goodwin-Boyd (one run scored) and Longstreeth had two hits each in the loss.

Ethan Wenner and Tajima each had two hits and scored two runs for Amherst (6-13).

Metro Softball

Wilbraham & Monson 10-7, Amherst 6-1 — Ali McIntire had a combined four hits and four RBIs, but Amherst (7-8-1) was swept in its doubleheader at home Sunday.

Becca Carkhuff was 3-for-3 with a double in game one, while Sarah Munier scored twice.

Jazzy Moonstone and Allison Butterfield each had two hits in the game two loss.

Allie LaClair struck out a combined eight batters in nine innings of work.

Aliya Bartmon struck out six in four innings during the second game.

Easthampton 19-14, Rockettes 10-2 — Kayla McFarland went 5-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored in game one and Easthampton (12-2) posted a combined 29 runs in a doubleheader sweep Sunday in Springfield.

Brooke Paschek went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Amy Parizo had an RBI and scored three runs in game one.